Low-Impact Green Duplex in Portland

You probably heard about the new Passive House Alliance and the election of Sam Hagerman, Hammer & Hand, as president of the alliance. This company is behind some impressive green projects, including an interesting home renovation in Portland. Zack Semke, Director of Evangelism and Evolution at Hammer & Hand, said Twin Studios tells a “unique Portland story of micro-community-renewal and ‘upcycling’ of a marginal structure into a beautiful, low-impact, green duplex.”

Twin Studios was included in this year’s Build It Green! Home Tour. The project was a design-build collaboration of the project owners, Hammer and Hand, and Departure Design.

Built in 1902, the 1,500 square-foot split-level home was converted into an up-down duplex with preservation of embodied energy as a key aspect of sustainability.

Deconstructed chimney material was reused in the courtyard, original doors were relocated and reused, and original wood siding from an adjacent home clads the new addition, according to Michelle Jeresek of Departure Design.

Yet the interior still maintains a sense of newness. The kitchens feature modern appliances, deep counters, and custom IKEA cabinets. The bathrooms are renovated in fresh cabinets, tiles, and paints. When combined with natural lighting, each unit appears larger than it is, about 750 square feet.